


Identity quest 2.0

by A_servant_of_Krishna



Series: identity quest [2]
Category: Rockman Zero | Mega Man Zero, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Touhou Project, Undertale (Video Game), 真女神転生IV FINAL | Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Major Character Undeath, Omega is an innocent murder muffin, Other, PTSD, Read at Your Own Risk, Recovery, Spoilers, Zero is an abolute wreck, good job Yukari, may become an AU of an AU, sequel to identity quest., so many spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_servant_of_Krishna/pseuds/A_servant_of_Krishna
Summary: Falling through a crack of a dark eternity with nothing but the pain and the carousel of agony, Zero land in Yukari's awaiting arms.Waking up from a dream filled with glorious bloodshed, knowing nothing bout life and why he kept fighting, Omega will learn how to live.Together, they will discover the true meaning of life, the universe and everything else.Sporadic update, don't hold your breath.
Relationships: Flynn/ Kaenbou Rin, Nanashi & Makoto Yuki, Navarre/Nyx (Shin Megami Tensei), X/Zero (Rockman), Zero&Omega
Series: identity quest [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124669





	1. Chapter 1

This story is basically a sort of equal to my now rather popular... to me, at least, fanfiction Identity quest. But instead of following Nanashi, Krishna-Kripa, It follows the path of Zero and Omega.

Expect Angst and humour, philosophy and sentiment, and the madness trying to Love The supreme personality of Godhead engenders.

If Identity Quest starts to deviate from this story, it will be a stand-alone fic with characters who resemble the old version...

Blah. I just feel the burning need to post it.

Speaking of Burning-

* * *

He was falling to his death...Weil was dead…Ragnarock destroyed…what little population left was now safe…But zero knew it would not last…it was all but a game. A game that would restart once what was left of his body begins burning upon re-entry.

He would sleep and forget everything that had happened, all of his system reset to factory setting, and his memory wiped… Ciel would awake him with a plea for help…He would face untold horror, kill copy-X, fight in the desert for two years…, watch his best friend die once, Kill Copy X-again… kill Omega...lose X for good, again… and finally meet with destiny in the stratosphere, killing the mad doctor and falling to his death.

And it would start again...

No matter how many times the Red 'hero' saw it, it would still send shivers down his spinal cord. The burning doctor's image would always be the last image that would be etched in his memory bank and the last one to be deleted when the cycle started anew.

It never ended…even when Zero thought death would finally come, That X could finally rest in peace, that Ciel could finally live…that peace was achieved, everything started over again.

And again

And again

And again

Sometime, when he could remember, he would try to break free, to save X from his ignoble fate, to teach Copy-X like he had mentored his dear friend, to mend the relationship between humans and reploids. To break the cycle once and for all.

He had once followed the path Omega Zero treaded and burned everything to the ground, killing whatever was in front of him, hoping it would free them from the groundhog-loop for good.

And one time….he had come back to Ciel instead of sacrificing himself.

Neige had been amongst the few survivors and the one who had rightfully killed Zero with his very own blade. He had himself given the well-used weapon to the human girl…

Never again…Ciel may have some affection for him, But Zero knew it would not last. And the result of choosing the girl over the rest of the world…no, never again…it was just not worth it, even with all the repetitions.

He had already given whatever could be considered a heart to someone else, and even if he was dead...he could not let himself move on…

It just felt wrong to embrace someone else than him...

There was a time where he would be facing Sigma…with X at his side. he had Killed Iris more time than he cared to remember…being betrayed by almost everyone he knew…a time when he had tried to kill himself to save the earth…

Again

And again

And again

It had all been for nothing, for peace had never been an option. But for some reason, he never went back that far anymore…not that it mattered anyway. He was just happy he didn't have to kill his sweet iris anymore…the innocent girl could now rest in peace.

As he plummeted, he grimly wondered where he would land this time. Maybe in area Zero…He just hopes nobody would find his remains this time; there was nothing worst than to be turned into a cyber-metal…and the pain of losing Gyrouette…and witnessing Ciel's gruesome death.

' _all my friends…are no more…I…It's all useless.'_

Once, he had reached the peak of desperation, and as he once again fell, Zero had begun praying to God…what else could he do? Humans would do it in time of distress; at the time of death…He was desperate enough to give in to this concept, to concede that he could not do it anymore…like now.

He could not remember if God had responded, only that he was falling again…X would die again. Omega would kill again…Ciel would cry for him again…Elpizo…Neige…Craft…Gyrouette.

The Mother-elf would be kidnapped, and Weil would use her again and again to power Omega…his old body, his worst nightmare…

No…Omega was not Zero's worst nightmare…it was _living._ It was what had been happening to him for as long as he could remember.

' _It's all useless.'_ Zero closed his glitching eyes…his vision failing.

As he fell to yet another death and another start of a cycle…something different happens. Not that Zero would know, with both optic now but decorative features. A purple gap opened right under him, a gap filled with red, unblinking eyes. He slid right into it and into the waiting arms of one Yakumo Yukari.

"It's Yakumo Yamuna devi dasi dear."

Right…she got her initiation.

* * *

' _The hell happened? Why am I not cold?'_ Omega wondered. _'Is it time to respawn yet?'_

No…something felt off. He could not feel the slight pressure of the bulky armour he usually wore, nor could he feel his system de-freezing, the super-coolant draining from his lines. Instead, he was laying on something…soft.

It was…nice; his whole body had sunk into the comfy surface, lulling the walking Armageddon to recharge for five more minutes, turning over to fully imbibe the novel experience, hugging a musk smelling soft thing. He was so absorbed in the moment; it was a miracle he managed to register the four powerful presences smothering their giggles. Needless to say, his recharge would wait until those who dared laugh at him had their collective heads rolling on the floor.

He rolled to his side and, in a swift movement, drew out the 0-sabre and froze…

At the other side of where omega laid were four being of human appearance, three of them were blonds, and one was a brunet with two tails and a pair of extra ears.

The brunet wore a Chinese dress over a pair of black leggings…a pair of tails protruded from her lower back, and a pair of cat ears crowned her head, a golden U shaped mark rested upon her forehead and nose. Of the four, she was the weakest, yet Omega had the distinct feeling that killing her would be very satisfactory and relatively hard.

The second weakest was a blond woman with nine fox tails and, once again, a pair of ears and the same mark as the weakest. She leered at Omega with…pity. This had almost been enough to trigger his combat routine at full capacity were it not for her monstrous power. Omega may be many things, but a fool he was not.

In front of the fox was yet another blond, this time a young girl no older than five in a pretty red dress and the same mark. Her eyes were a piercing red, like his own, and a pair of wrought iron bars protruded from her back like a pair of very inefficient wings; crystals of seven colours line them like Christmas lights. She smiled at him; no aggression could be recorded, only a pair of very sharp fangs. Omega's sensor blared, warning the destructive reploid that this child would be his end.

The last of these powerful ladies sat in a fancy purple settee; she wore a purple dress that draped elegantly over her left shoulder, long gloves covered her hands, and a cream-coloured veil sat of her head. Her hair was braided, and a power beyond anything conceivable flowed from her.

All four women had wooden neck beads, a U shaped mark on their forehead, and a certain glow not found in this world surrounded them.

After some time staring at them, waiting for the strangers to move, Omega decided to take the initiative. "Who are you…where am I?" He asked, his 0-sabre still out, the blade stilled by the awesome presence of the being in front of him.

The leader of the group gave a gentle, compassionate, yet mischievous smile. "Oh? Not a hello? Not even a simple greeting like 'hi' or 'Hello'? Such a rude creature." The powerful blond commented as she began petting something…Omega didn't dare to move his sight from her face, afraid she would kill him.

Yes, he was scared. No, he didn't like it. Yes, it was the first time he felt an emotion other than greed for battle and bloodlust.

The blond gave a slight shrug. "Oh well, I'm sure you will learn manners eventually. Let me show you how it is done then." She cleared her throat. " Hello there, my name is Yakumo Yamuna devi dasi, mistress of border and maidservant of the maidservant of God." Yamuna introduced herself. "The kitsune is my Shikigami, Yakumo Ramba devi dasi, my wonderful maidservant. The Bakeneko is Citra devi dasi, the most fortunate being in the entire existence." As she gave names to the other two, both females gave a humble blush at their praise.

"And this is Gargi Devi dasi, my adopted daughter and very dear to the Vaishnavas," Yamuna spoke affectionately as she patted the young blond on the head. "And you are in my living room, on my favourite couch." She mildly accused with narrowed eyes. "And you are?"

"I am Omega, the walking apocalypse." The crimson reploid gave his full designation, causing the little girl in red to raise a brow as she stifles a laugh.

"Me too!" Gargi gave this cute little giggle that petrified the crimson death. "Don't worry, mister; we don't want to kill you or hurt you." She assured. But Omega loathed falling prey to this oblivious trap.

Omega got off from the couch and onto the floor. He needed to feel the solid ground, to move… those women were more powerful than him...they were an actual threat. He scanned the room, trying to find something he could use if his fighting prowess were not as good as he would like.

The room he was in was vast and bright, a huge window opening to a lush garden, a few potted plants stood in front of the glass, sitting on stands and wearing skirts for some reasons. The floor was made of shiny green marble, and the walls were painted a soothing cream colour. Some pictured cows, a blue boy playing the flute and monochrome statues with opulent dresses and turbans decorated the room.

There were a few doors, but Omega could not ascertain the one that would lead to freedom. On the opposite side of the glass wall was what he could only describe as an opulent altar decorated with numerous flower garlands, mirrors and other such dust collectors. Presiding there were three…forms. One was white, the smaller one yellow and the last one was black. They had no legs and only some stumps for arms…except the yellow one, who had absolutely none. At the left side of the trifecta, a duo of dancing…man? Woman?

...whatever they were, they stood with arms upraised, a blissful, compassionate smile light their plump red lips. The garlands on their necks were fresh, and their pose invoked dancing.

The trio kept looking at Omega, anticipating what he would do, judging his actions…Omega could feel that those idols were hiding their true power from him…and yet he didn't dare taunt them. Same with the twins…

Once again, he may be the destructive messiah, the horseman war, and He who ushered Forth the Apocalypse…but he was not dumb enough to face those he knew were definitely leagues above him…Like those in the room right now.

He'd never tough he'd met some who his system recognized a critical threat...and yet, here they were, breathing menacingly...that's was what his system told him anyway.

"So…What do you want of me?" The red Armageddon demanded. "The Messiah can and will destroy that stand in your path…but cross hi-"the quarter began to laugh, and Omega grit his teeth. _'Forget about self-preservation; those bitches are_ _dead._ "

"Oh, do not mind us, oh Messiah. You are simply not the only one we know who bears this _sacred_ title." Yamuna spoke with mirth in her voice. "But I do know one thing though, dear Omega. Those whom I know do not rampage across the land, sowing death and destruction wherever they go. but when they do, it's on God's order, and all who they slay attains salvation." She leaned forward. "So tell me, who is God? How does he look like, and what were his instructions to you?"

Omega opened his mouth…and closed it.

To be honest, Omega had no idea what this whole concept was. He just knew how to destroy, kill, and control reploid to kill and destroy more. To clean the slate for Weil so that He could make the world to his image.

"But, Weil is not God." Yamuna interrupted his musing. "And neither are you."

Omega snapped to attention. "How did you-"

"Simple border manipulation between what is thought and what is spoken. "Yamuna casually explained as she kept petting…something that smelled suspiciously like a burnt Reploid.

' _This is a warning…This woman is dangerous.'_ This observation made the being smile from under her veil.

"But to come back to you. I am afraid your title is as official as a certificate found in a cereal box. In other words, a make-believe title."

"Make-believe or not, I am still the scourge of the land." Omega bristle." By myself, I have decimated more then-"

"You have decimated nothing." Snapped the nine-tailed woman. "One's score in a video game means nothing in real life. And before you tell us your score, know that there is nothing great or special about killing innocent's and those who are clearly weaker than you..."

"But." Yamuna Interrupted. "You are not without strength. We just find your achievements…underwhelming is all." The woman in purple gave an apologetic smile as she kept petting the dead reploid.

Omega remained silent and fuming…he had killed many whom the good doctor saw as useless or obstacles. Most of them too weak to even struggle back, and those who did gave the crimson death no satisfaction to kill. The few reploids were fun, though…but also went down without much of a fight. As for zero and X…

They were just _so fun_ to face…even his weak copy gave him a good fight that left Omega wanting more. Too bad Zero's inferior frame couldn't handle a light beating…and he would be backed up by another elf and the three Copy's of X.

"When you reach them, it's a hopeless fight, isn't it?" Yamuna once again read his CPU.

"Ha!" Omega scoffed. "Even if I lose, neither of them have the power to kill me. The best they can do is send me to sleep in orbit." He gave a chilling grin as he clenched a fist in front of him. "But I always return…"

"Only to be destroyed by dear Zero and the four guardians again." The powerful being gave a wry smile as she patted the corpse resting in her lap. "Your life, if I can even call it that, is but a collection of pain, destruction, misery and death…repeating over and over again without any rhyme or reasons. In other words, you 'lived' uselessly."

"MY LIFE IS NOT-"the words died in his mouth…

She…She…

She was right…Omega loathed himself for admitting it, but… _' No! My life has a meaning, Destruction! Death! Chaos!'_

' _And then what?'_ a small voice spoke to him from…his heart? _'Can't you be more than a violent machine?'_

Omega paused...

Sometimes, just sometime…he did wonder how his life would be like without violence. And sometimes…sometime he just wanted to stop those repetitions, do something else…face other worthy opponents and not only leaking flesh bags and poor excuses for reploids.

And rarely…Omega wondered why he was fighting for the point in all this violence. It may be fun, but…the crimson death was something getting tired of it. Not that he could escape his destiny.

Oh well, he could still forget everything as he drank the nanite filled fluid of his slain opponents and forget about everything in his glorious blood lust…while it lasted.

"My dearest Omega." Yamuna began. "My only desire is to see you both happy."

"Both? Me and who? And who said I was unhappy?" Omega grumbles as he crossed his arms over his chest.

And knowing smile painted Yamuna's lips. "God did…and I was referring to Zero-chan." she patted the corps, and Omega finally got a good look at the sung and half-destroyed reploid.

It was none other than Zero, or what remained of him. His lesser copy looked to have been caught in a pretty big explosion. His helmet was broken beyond recognition, and his once golden hair was but a mess of half-melted nanite; his face had burnet practically off and torn apart, revealing the torn synth-muscle and wires used to give it life. His optics were hopelessly cracked, and the blue data-crystal was completely broken. His arms had been blown off, the red jacket but a shredded piece of Kevlar, exposing his Cracked and dully glowing core, a shard of…something black and shiny could still be seen stuck in it… His lower body seemed to have fared a bit better, but at this point, Omega doubted anything could be done for Zero.

He averted his eyes from the scorched remains of the so-called original. Did he felt…regrets? Sad? A general sense of loss? Pity?Disgust?

' _No…I don't have those useless feelings…I'm just staring at my own corps.'_ But he had to admit…He would Miss the fights zero gave him…even if the three guardians had to mess things up with their so-called interference.

Yamuna began petting Zero's heavily damaged head, her golden eyes and voice brimming with compassion. "Indeed, while you blow up upon defeat, Zero had to suffer and explosion twelve times more potent than your head-on." Her smile fell "…the poor dear deserve freedom from those hellish cycles and discover the meaning of his life, and yours by extension." She turned her gaze back at the crimson death, and Omega felt two hands on his shoulders and _froze._

The power that coursed through them…he could not calculate…but he knew those child-like hands had the ability to destroy more than Omega ever could in the armour. He managed to slide his eyes to where the little blond girl…only to realize that she was gone.

No, not gone.

Only _right behind him._

The hands… her hands moved to his helmet…and his head. And Gargi gently tried to pull it off without much success.

"Mister Omega, could you please remove your helmet?" Gargi asked sweetly and with all the respect in the world. Omega was about to deny the powerful being access to his head when he felt the thing open by itself. In front of him, Yamuna had a small triumphant smile.

 _I hate you._ Omega mouthed as he put as much hatred he could behind the virulent words. The gap youkai simply smiled back. Behind him, he could feel the little girl shaped abomination push herself up, and then she began brushing his hair, the sound of her tinkling 'wings' indicating she had taken flight.

It was…absolutely absurd.

'Gargi-chan, can you please chant this Raga you know so well?" Yamuna asked her adopted daughter as she began working on Zero, fixing the damage done with…

"Magic?"

"No dear, not magic, Science." She clarified. "What one called magic is simply the science of controlling material nature to do one's bidding. But since it is an extremely subtle art that requires decades of studies and austerity to master, no one but a hand full can practice it." She flippantly explained. "But to be very honest with you, learning how to make matter bow to your will…is not as satisfying as one would be lead to believe. You see, we, the soul, are not of this world. We belong to the spiritual nature, the higher energy of God…Krishna. And no, you cannot take his place, not even I can pull it off."

Imperceptibly, Omega slumped a bit disappointed and almost purring by the gentle ministration of Gargi as she ever so gently untangled his hair.

'… _I never thought someone could be so gentle with me.'_ He almost closed his eyes in pure bliss. But refrained, he didn't want to show any weakness in front of the…the…

"Gap youkai, Mistress of the border, the maidservant of the servant…yet another fallen soul trying to return home." She gave a sweet, humble smile. Under her hands, Zero started to look less like an absolute train wreck and more like…just a normal wreck. "I have to power to manipulate the conceptual borders that control this world," she spoke almost conversationally.

"But to be honest, I have lost the taste for controlling matter for myself centuries ago, passing most of my time sleeping my life away. I would sometimes play a prank of the villagers living in my domain, tricking them, playing with their little impressionable mind." A wry smile painted her lips. "You think you hate me? Oh, dear child, you are merely annoyed that I have put you in an embarrassing condition…nothing more. If I wanted you to hate me…oh, you would not be standing in my living room, nor would you have such a nice rest on my favourite couch."

Behind omega, Gargi finished brushing the walking apocalypse long locks of golden hair. Giving her implement to the cat…Citra.

"She is a Bakeneko, the servant of my servant…" Yamuna commented.

Omega then felt something else…a comb parting his 'hair' neatly in two. "Oh, you're gonna make a fishtail?" Asked the cat demon, to which Gargi hummed in accent.

' _Are they going to…_?'

"Why yes. My adorable daughter desperately wanted to braid your and Zero's hair since the moment you came in. of course, in his current state…" Yamuna let the end of the sentence hang as his eyes drifted to the broken reploid...now actually identifiable as Zero. "Now, where was I…Right, how I had lost my desire to control…and my desire to live, to be quite honest."

"Listen…Youkai. I am not interested in your life story." Omega dryly informed his powerful host. Who simply ignored him with practised ease.

"It was the beginning of winter. A powerful being had entered my realm through the Sanzu, returning from a two years pilgrimage in the sacred realm of Mayapur. Learning everything she could about God, the eternal Identity of the soul and the ultimate purpose of life. She came back to Gensokyo to spread those holly teachings to all she could reach, not expecting anything in return."

Omega sighed…well, he could now experience something else than Weil's mad rambling about how both humans and reploids had ruined his life…it's not like he had anywhere to go anyway. And, to be very honest…it felt good for a change.

"This great saint, in both title and action, preached left and right, going through many trials and tribulation. Starting with the fact that her flesh was a delicacy to the demons that dwell in this land of fantasy…and yet she never stopped preaching." A fond smile painted Yamuna's painted lips.

"One day, she was invited for diner at the red mansion in the middle of the fairy lakes…a ploy for both her blood and some entertainment, for what Mukhara brought had never been heard in the land of fantasy before…and she smelled of cows and Indian spices. The result was that all the dwellers of the red devil mansion began to chant…Gargi!" She interrupted her narration. The little girl, knowing what her caretaker wanted, began to sing.

~ _ **Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare~**_

_**~Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare~** _

"Yes, this is the great Mantra of Liberation. This great saint, Mukhara, made us all sings. Starting with the dragon guard, the maid, the seven-day witch and the two vampires…starting with Gargi here." Yamuna gestured to the young girl, happily braiding his hair.

"She's…what's a vampire?"

There was a pause.

"Oh…of course, you wouldn't know. A vampire is a type of Rakshasha that lives exclusively on the lifeblood of other living entities, mostly humans." She smiled. "Not that they do anymore."

"Now, you must know that sweet little Gargi is well over five centuries old, most of them passing by as she remained locked in a dark basement out of her own volition, afraid of her own power."

"And what type of power would that be?" Omega asked,…this was definitely better than the nonsense Weil's, and X kept spouting…He never would expect people to be so…interesting.

"Destruction, plain and simple," Yamuna answered like one gives the weather report. "Remilia, Gargi's older sister, sent the great saint Mukhara to play in the basement with the SDM dark secret. Expecting her to die. Instead, this great saint told her the story of how God came on earth five millenniums ago, his pastime as a baby, a child and a youth in Vrindaban and His loving dealings with His pure devotee."

Omega listened on, now very much intrigued about This Krishna, God.

He had no idea what it meant, but…he felt Attracted to Him. He wanted to know more.

"Mukhara returned to my Gargi almost every day…and every day, I would also listen to those narrations." Yamuna gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Of Course, I was not ready to accept those teachings…still thinking myself the most powerful being in existence, one without weakness, the most intelligent." She turned her golden glance back onto Omega's blood-red eyes. "Be aware, Omega 0, that I am the most powerful being in this universe…up until the Big dipper, that is…beyond that, I am but another sage with some ability to control material nature. Above them is Brahma and above him Sri Shiva and Sri Vishnu. And well above them Is Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. What to speak of you?"

Omega was about to retort when he realized that the only one he could theoretically kill was the cat…the rest could and would rip him to shred faster than his ram could record.

"I see you have understood your precarious position." The blond sage observed.

"…I don't like it." Omega grounded between clenched teeth.

"I didn't like it also until I realized that those powerful being, those semi-Gods, and God himself only desired the best for all of us…" A grateful smile lighted the painted lips of the gap youkai. "After speaking to Mukhara, and Mandodari, a young Vaishnavi I spirited away for my own enjoyment, I finally understood that I should stop trying to compete with Achyuta, and instead co-operate with him and his servant. This decision got me some great friends, mended more bridges than I thought I had destroyed and got me mothers, fathers, a wonderful spiritual master and an adorable daughter who can destroy asteroids."

Omega stilled…realizing just how close to death he was at the moment.

"I gave up on my so-called control, and gave myself up to God willingly and joyfully…And I will never regret my decision." Three blond abominations smiled as tears well in her eyes. "Now, while I could force you and Zero to give up everything and just surrender unto Krishna, I know it would not have the intended result." She explained as she patted the now' half-decent' Red legend.

Still unmoving, with eyes-half closed, and yet now an Actual blip on Omega's radar. A small, weak blip….but he was there.

Omega jolted…"you want me to what now?!"

"My dear, I want you both to be happy…which is why I am sending you both on a pilgrimage to Mayapur and Vrindavana! I want you both to recover from your ordeal and learn to love again."

Omega could only stand there, his braid already finished, as his mouth fell open. "…what?"

Yamuna, instead of answering, lifted Zero off her lap so that he could sit beside her. He still looked like scrap…but at least he had a face. And could sit more or less upright. His eyes were still half-closed, one of them hopelessly cracked. He still had no arms, though…

His vest was completely repaired tough, hiding the cracked core...deep inside the privacy of his CPU, Omega hoped Yamuna repaired that also.

Still, Omega had never seen someone look so utterly _miserable in his entire existence_. Worst still, it was his weaker copy…meaning he was basically looking at himself, defeated, damaged… _broken._

He averted his eyes, wondering why would this Youkai (whatever it meant.) even bothered fixing the weakling. He was obsolete, not even worthy enough to use his original body and the awesome power it contained.

"Oh? You can't even look at him?" Yamuna asked with mirth, and omega could hear the mischief in her voice. "I thought this was your greatest desire, to see the fake _utterly_ defeated, broken beyond repair."

"I DID!" The red death spoke a bit louder than expected. "But this…this…What the hell happened to him?!" He gestured to Zero, who barely managed to lift his eyes…, Omega 'tsk' at the pathetic sight.

Where was that Zero who kept killing him, who, with X, had managed to damage him enough that he had been forced into a total shut down? Where was this legendary hero, the brave warrior? He whose rage had kept him going where anything lesser would lay dead! Where was the one who slew him over and over again as he approached terminal hardware failure?

This…was not Zero…this was not the same reploid that thrived on hardship, the berserker whose rage made him live to kill another day!

This…thing was…dead!

"My dear Omega, I have already told you, did I not? Zero-chan killed Weil again on the falling kill-sat Ragnarok. The explosion took out his arms and his face…Then, remembering the hundreds of times he had gone through the same song and hellish dance, Zero finally realized that all his sacrifices were ultimately in vain. This broke him completely." Yamuna sadly recounted as she pated Zero's helmet. "The poor dear never had a good reason to fight for, and nothing worked in his favour. And unlike you, he could not remember the cycles until his repeated demises…"

"Really?" Omega crossed his arms. "I could remember all my deaths, and look at me! I'm still fine!"

"Yes…for you had nothing of value in your life o fight for."

"Zero didn't-"

"He had _friends_ , other living entity he considered dear," Yamuna explained. "X, Ciel, Iris…Well, mostly X. " She gave a small smile as she gazed at Zero.

"X is dead…"

"He saw him get murdered…again, and again, and again…" he put a gentle hand on Zero's shoulder. It was at this moment that Omega realized how…Tall this woman was. "Zero reasons to fight may not have been very big, but this friendship and love are what fuelled him."

Gargi and Citra, their work done, returned at Yamuna's side. The blond vampire went to Zero, Hugging the useless piece of defunct hardware. "It's Ok, Zero. Krishna loves you so much; he will make you all better soon, you'll see." She kissed him on the cheek.

Omega sneered at the sight…

"Oh? Don't you want some affection, too, Omega?" Yamuna asked as she hid her smile with a white fan.

If the Crimson reploid could gag, he would…violently. "I am not a weakling to coddle."

"Have you ever experienced love? Affection? Has anyone ever held you tight when you were sad? Afraid? Distraught?"

"I do not need such Pity!" The crimson death snapped. "Only the weak required such useless sentiment."

"So…you do not know what you are missing then." The powerful youkai concluded as she arose from her seat, approaching Omega with grace and…compassion.

The only one who had ever regarded Omega with anything that resembled compassion had been X…And it was always mixed with hatred. But Yamuna… it was unmixed…

Omega hated the unknown…and what the sage generated was completely alien to him.

The next thing he knew, the imposing woman had engulfed the (admittedly) shorter blond in her arms and onto her bosom.

She was soft, warm. Omega could hear her beating heart under the layers of cloth, skin, fat, flesh and bones. Pumping blood and another nutrient into her veins with uneven beating that never failed. He could hear and feel her respiration filling her lungs with air… and he could feel her monstrous power sleeping there like a slumbering Dragonoid. She smelled clean, like spices and flowers...and the powerful stench of Zero's burnt off remains.

He had killed so many humans…He had never realized well-built they were…the crimson death only knew they were noisy and extremely messy once killed. He had no idea they could be so…pleasant to hold when whole and unbroken.

Well, no... he knew how nice they felt, for he had kept a few pets.. when weil let him. But never in his life was he hugged like that embraced for the sake of love and not... to kill.

Something warm fuzzy and _needed_ filled him…let's call it a heart for simplicity's sake. This…he had been looking for this…Weil's grovelling, his chastisement, the fear his prey felt…the hatred… Those never gave him this much satisfaction.

Was this? No, it couldn't be…Love was a myth, a huge lie…This woman couldn't possibly… _he was but a murderous machine! Inhuman in all but shape! HE COULD NOT FEEL! HE WAS SOULLESS!_

Yamuna gently caressed his braided hair. "Oh, child…you have been robbed of so much." The great and powerful sage whispered on top of his head. "But fear not, for I bless you that you, and Zero, will regain what was lost a thousandfold. Now go, Go to the holy dhama." And then a gap opened between Yamuna and Omega, swallowing the android whole.

Once he was gone, Yamuna grabbed his discarded red helmet, threw it in another gap, and then took away his light sabre and buster shot. After a few moments of silence, the second most powerful presence in the room spoke up.

"Ma, do you think it's such a good idea to send Omega to the most sacred Dham in the universe?" Gargi asked, still holding the unresponsive Zero. "If he makes an offence there, he will not make it out alive. At least devotionally."

Yamuna remained silent as she walked back toward her settee. Her sari was stained with oil and soot, and her cheeks streaked with tears and a knowing smile on her lips.

"Why didn't you fix Zero-Prabhu completely?" Instead, the centennial young girl asked, somewhat upset the only guest in the room was still unresponsive and 'wounded.'

Yamuna stood in front of her guest, lifting his chin with gentle fingers so that she may look into his glassy eyes. "I may be able to fix his body, but the mind is another matter completely. Zero's state of mind is...how I can explain it. Right now, our guest is exhausted and doubting, broken and bruised. For him to be here with us is but a dream, a phantasm, and he still expects to wake up in a dilapidated lab, ordered by a damsel for help."

"Oh, so…you can't fix that. But how about his arms? I know you stole them also." Gargi was mildly accused.

Yamuna smirked. "Yes…Indeed. But you, see, I also de need them for an essential project."

"For what?" Gargi asked.

" _It's a se~cret~3"._ Yamuna teased with a sing-song tone, hiding her lips behind her fan.

"Can you tell? me _please~?"_

Yamuna opened her mouth as if to speak and then playfully closed it with a smirk, making the adorable armageddon cross her arms and pout. "you're not like my mom… your more like my sister."

"can't I be both? We do share the same source…and both of us are blond and powerful."

"Well..your not powerful enough to fix Zero-Prabhu's subtle body," Gargi grumbled.

"No…Zero will need more than little old me to recover from his ordeal. And it just so happen that those who have the power and the patience to fix him will be in India in a few days." Yamuna spoke as she gently picked zero from her seat, opening a gap to the most polluted city in the world and gently lowering him onto the ground, right beside a very confused Omega.

"Wait…Kartika is in a few days. Mayapur and Vrindhava will be packed with pilgrims." Gargi's glowing red eyes went wide. "If Omega 0 Snap…"

"Oh, I doubt he will." Yamuna assured her 'young' charge as she sat beside her, gaping away the stains that marred her violet sari. The Yoshima gave a side hug to Gargi. "My dear daughter, you have sealed Omega's destructive propensity beautifully. I could not have done it better myself." She praised.

"Oh please…I knew you went to fix it better. Who can be better than you?" Gargi deflected it as she leaned onto Yamuna's side. After 500 years in self-imposed isolation. To have someone show affection without fear was still a very novel experience for the walking Armageddon.

Even after thirty years.

Both looked toward Yamuna's well-decorated altar and to the presiding deities. Ramba came in front of the Lords and put the two sabres in front of them. As she did, all who remained in the room began to pray…for the journey ahead would be long and bumpy for those three. But not impossible.

* * *

Back in Delhi, in a cramped back alley, Omega, again and again, reset his Optics…yes, he knew this place; he had rained destruction there so often.

Nd yet... It was brimming with life. People bustling around in the street, cars and their's horns filling the night air with their cacophony, monkeys, rats, abandoned cows and other organic life forms milled around, practically overwhelming Omega's sensors with life and movement.

Oh, and a very heavy downpour... thankfully, Omega's helmet was back onto his scalp. Providing the god of destruction with some meagre measure of protection.

His battle algorithm came to life... and the desire to tear everyone and everything apart, turning flesh into ribbons and turning the streets into bloody rivers awakened with the movement of all of his potential preys.

And then... nothing happened. He could not act upon it...

' _Those motherboard splitting glitched! They_ _neutered me!_ '

Suddenly, a gap open in the fabric of space, and Yamuna's gloved hand gently deposited the train wreck (Zero.) onto a convenient mat…it was still saturated with dirt and rainwater, like everything else.

Her hands receded, and Omega was now alone with a 'bot as good as dead. Only the direction of Yamuna Yakumo and his tattered pride remained.

" _Now go, Go to the holy dhama."_

* * *

Author notes.

I did also nerf Yukari a bit... but that's pretty much it.

I wrote this a year ago... And at this time, I always wanted to post it, even if I was not finished with Identity quest. if you want to have the second chapter now... I don't know, write me about it in the comment section, but otherwise, don't hold your breath,


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, A bit of a... Character Introduction.

Spoiler-heavy.

Karuna-Sindhu das Adhikari is none other than the twenty-year-old Krishna-Kripa das. The reason for his name change is because he got his first initiation recently. Also, Krishna-Kripa is Nanashi from the SMT; apocalypse... but instead of being born of normal parents, his Mother is Kaazami Yuuka from Touhou Project and Toyosatomimi no Miko... from the same game.

Yes... He's op... and an unapologetic Hare Krishna Queer... Because yes, we do have those. Nothing can stop Bhakti devi, nothing at all.

Yavata is... Alright, plenty of Spoiler from my other story, but Krishna from SMT: apocalypse too... but He's not the Original supreme personality of Godhead, Sri-Krishna. He's Makoto Yuki, now freed from the influence of a certain crawling Chaos.

Yes... Door-kun is alive and well... and a Hare Krishna.

Mukhara is Toyosatomimi no Miko who lost all limbs, for Yokais almost ate her after she tried preaching Krishna-consciousness in Gensokyo.

I like to give more depth to characters than they need... especially those mute protagonists Altus loves to stuff down our gullets.

All glories to Roy L. Fortune. And my Spiritual master.

* * *

Rain…with wind and lightening…mud…trash…bio-waste… Omega Zero in a dark alleyway... the light bulb was not on...

The mad reploid had propped him up on the step of some back door…he was speaking to him.

"Can you stop being so Pathetic?" he asked. "You used to be so fun. Now…what the hell am I supposed to do with you?"

Kill him?

"I could kill you; I _want_ to kill you…but I can't." Omega looked very disappointed, frustrated, And soaking wet. He grabbed his braid; it had a frilly magenta ribbon at the end. Glaring at the piece of fabric with his angry red eyes. He dropped it after he tried removing the simple knot without success.

Again, to prove his point, omega grabbed Zero by the neck… lifting him from the concrete stairs.

"See? I can't even rip your head off" Omega gave Zero a shake. "I'm sure it's those women...they must have done something. I can't even kill a human…or a rat." Omega dropped him on the steps again. Looking at his hands, flexing them. He looked upset.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked Zero…

"Can't you speak copy-Z?"

"…'

Omega went to zero again. He picked him up from the steps and began shaking his body…causing some error messages. And pain...more pain than usual.

This was...a very well-made dream...he could feel pain...and yet he still dreamed...he still slept.

This was new...

If it was new...it was not real...

Omega dropped him again, but this time, he fell in the mud.

"Get up!" Omega barked. "C'mon, you piece of faulty hardware. GET UP!" he stomped by Zero's head, sending mud and water spraying everywhere.

…this was not real…nothing was real…Zero was but a bunch of code made for fighting attached to a body made for fighting…

he had no more reasons to fight…He never had a reason to fight…His reason to fight was as good as dead…over and over again…

Fighting meant living…he had no reason to live…

He didn't want to live…

_He should never have lived…_

* * *

Omega sighed… "What am I supposed to do now? I don't have my armour; I can't access my power, can't even hurt a fly…." Omega began passing back and forth the alley they were in. the rain had turned into a drizzle. "And then there's you…what am I supposed to do with you now? You're…your as good as dead." Omega nudged Zero with his boot. "Common…move, make a noise just…do something!"

"…"

Omega had never been in this type of situation before…usually, Zero would move. He would dodge his projectile, his attack, his blade strike…he would jump around the battlefield and be overall fun to slap around until the Guardians showed up.

Or until Omega's hardware would start failing.

But now…All that fighting spirit was gone.

The crimson death ex-vented as he ran a hand on his helmet. Even this was weird; Omega had assumed his helmet was unmovable…he had been wrong.

He wished he would be back to his normal…back to serve the grovelling Weil, back to killing millions…

Not…this…

He looked back at the collapsed form of his pathetic copy. Wet, muddied, Unmoving, still arm-less…completely useless.

It made him sick, Omega had no idea he could feel like this, but he did…there was just something inherently wrong with seeing Zero so utterly broken, defeated…

Omega knelled beside the fallen hero…he felt something in his chest squeezing painfully. _'Great, now I also have some hardware malfunction on top of it…'_

What should he do? Should he leave the broken Zero in the trash where he belonged? Maybe he would be found and fixed, and maybe he would hunt Omega again…

No…The crimson death doubted any of those primitive humans would have the technology even to begin understanding a reploid. Once again, no robots, no reploids, not even alone mechalinoid could be sensed. Just a bunch of computers with no power.

He put a hand on Zero's back. His broken copy was still functioning…on a very basic level. Omega wondered if the broken puppet had even enough will to live to have his remaining nanite fix whatever was broken…

' _Nah, probably not…he can't even muster to vent._ _'_ Really, the crimson death had never seen anyone so pathetic. He had seen people being horrified, terrified, angry beyond reasons…but never had he seen someone void of a will to live.

Omega sighed…well, Zero was broken. There was only one thing left to do with the glitchy, useless knock-off; throw it away…recycle it if possible.

Or he could have Zero be found and hopefully repaired. And then he would have a worthy opponent again!

' _Once again, not likely.'_

Suddenly, he heard the door unlocked. Unwilling to be found just yet, Omega hoisted Zero onto his right shoulder and climbed the nearest wall and onto the convenient flat roof.

As he hopped away, Omega concluded that, with nothing better to do, he could always keep the knock-off until he stopped functioning. Then he would destroy the body, making sure no one could rebuild him…

He had no idea what to do after that…Maybe find this dhama the Yoshima spoke of…

Also, he didn't really care about Zero…he just didn't want the heroic knock-off to be put in a display case, or worst…

Better yet would be for Zero to recover, then Omega would still have him around…Zero was fun. And he was the only one Omega knew of in this damn place.

No, he was not…oh, alright. Omega didn't want zero to go…he didn't know why; it was just how it went.

Every time he would wake up, Zero was there, sometimes with X; sometimes alone…Zero was the only constant in his life, the only thing familiar…

Well, there was copy X, but…that kid just kept whining. And then there was Weill…He was…fun at first until his rage-filled spiel repeated one time too often.

And the dark-elf just kept moaning and crying all the time...and she was a traitor.

' _Now…where is this Mayapur.'_ He wondered as he cleared yet another gap between houses. The sky was still blackish blue, and Omega could hear the cloud rumble with the promises of another downpour.

* * *

A few days passed after his unceremonious dumping; Omega had run out of ideas as to how to rouse Zero from his torpor. The red Reploid was about as entertaining as an empty energen can.

Omega had tried everything… _everything_ to elicit a reaction from Zero. Many of those things he would never do again, and others…maybe with someone other than Zero. But still, the broken reploid had no will to live…

And Omega had no desire to let him go…Growing more and more attached to the broken Reploid as time went on.

The rain did not let up; it actually got worst with lightning, high wind and curtains of water falling from the sky every hour… sometimes stopping, but always looming. Worst, the bad weather means that the city was in complete blackout, and the thick covering of cloud hid the sun.

And it was humid...and blazing hot.

Not that Omega needed a charge, Doctor Weil had upgraded him in such a way that a little bit of sunshine was all Omega needed. Zero, on the other hand, needed more than a few dim rays.

The old legend was in recovery mode, his self-repair working overtime to fix what the blond Youkai had left…but without any desire to live and no power source… Zero needed more than just sunshine and fresh air; he needed to be plugged-in…or was it stuffed in a repair pod?

Omega had no idea; he had never been treated as a normal android, nor did he ever had to take care of another one in dire need of repair. He had checked Zero's charge level…it was well below fifty percent at this point and would keep going lower, even if the Crimson death would boost him some time.

Omega…had never lived anything like this; he was used to killing and destruction…not restoration and maintenance. Especially of Zero, an enemy...a rival. Right now, the red copy could not even be considered a treat, except if he would suffer a fatal hardware failure.

The rain kept falling, now with lightning dancing across the darkened sky. He found shelter under a tin roof on top of a well-built building, under which colourful clothing hung dry.

Of course, with how saturated the air was with humidity, it would take a few days to have everything somewhat dry. And not very clean, with the smog and the dust and whatever else floated in the polluted air. Under his feet, Omega could feel and hear some pleasant sound…music, maybe?

Omega never knew what Music was; he thought it was just some noise humans would do for entertainment. He never expected to be…pleasant to his audios.

"Humans are pretty interesting, don't' you think? I guess that's why you and X were protecting them from me, huh? To let them play and frolic?" He addressed the knock-off, still silent, his eyes still half-lidded and cracked. And he was still listless, unmoving yet still active…for now. So Omega had taken to speak to him…

He didn't like silence; silence meant he was alone, silence meant no action…it meant staying in one place without moving or speaking. It meant being stuck in the armour for years on end without any interaction, without feeling anything…

Of course, with how Zero was at the moment, it was the same as speaking to a wall. Or a fancy-looking carpet. He had no place to prop the dead weight, so omega just laid the copy on the wet ground...

"Hey! I'm speaking to you." He called out louder over the pouring rain.

"…"

Omega rolled his eyes as he returned at the other activities he had undertaken, rain watching. "Zero… You see this, right? Have you ever seen so much water falling from the sky? I can't even hear properly…It's…kind of scary, to be honest." This type of rainfall could destroy mechalinoid; Omega was sure of it.

"…"

"Do you think it's the end of the world?" He asked with a crooked smile; he could see the eerie glow of his crimson eyes reflecting on Zero's head gem. "I hope your waterproof Copy-Z. I know I am."

Still, nothing, only the sound of the music and the rain returns his query.

Omega sigh…he was out of his armour, freed from Weil's so-called control, free to do as he liked. And yet he could not part with the dead weight and could not destroy to his heart content.

He walked back to where he had dropped Zero. The reploid lay on his back, his hair now filthy from the mud and soaked with dirty water. .. like the rest of him." You look _so_ pathetic copy-Z…" Omega spoke as he knelled beside zero. "A legend, a great warrior, he who survived the unsurvivable, the red Hero…now but a mere, broken doll."

No answers…obliviously. But Omega now noticed something…Zero had moved. Not a whole l; hehe had just turned his neck so that his right audio receptor was pressed to the ground. He had also closed his eyes…the good one that is, the cracked optic could not even close properly.

"So…you moved." A genuine smile appeared on Omega's lips. "Heh, some progress…can you hear the music playing under us?"

Zero vented out once…it was something he rarely did, his systems running sub-optimally. But, Omega chose to see this as an answer from the broken reploids. He put a hand onto Zero's chest, feeling the gentle yet intermittent hum of his core. "So…what is those humans'

Omega silently gazed at the prone from or Zero…he could feel a sort of serenity emanating from his copy… "Hey, Copy-Z…Mind sharing what you're hearing?" He asked with a smirk…he had no idea why, but he felt happy.

Really happy…without death, without destruction, without war. It was such a novel experience, something new and fresh…

When was the last time Omega had experienced something new? Something that didn't involve violence?

Practically never…

His smile fell as he remembered the words of Yamuna Yakumo…His life had been useless until now. He had never really lived…

Deep in thought, he almost didn't hear the young man coming up the step…but his sensor did pick him up…as a plant, a potent plant.

Omega whirled around, not sure of what he would find. But ready for everything. He may not have his 0-sabre with him; the crimson death was confident he could kill or at least incapacitate whatever monstrosity was coming his way. Hiding behind a purple and pink cloth, the mad reploid looked at the stairwell with all attention.

Then he realized he didn't have his buster option.

' _Oh, rust this chip!'_ Bah, he didn't need any weapons to rain devastation of a walking bush.

Would it be a plant-reploid? A moving techno-organic being of untold power? And abomination unfit for his eyes?

Eventually, the…being that should not exist emerged from the curtain of water; he was rather…heavy set.

Scratch that; it was just a teen (still a bit taller than him, annoyingly enough.) with green hair carrying a pail of wet cloth. He had golden eyes; green hair shaved at both sides of his head saved from a strip in the middle, and a pair of horn-like tuft; above his left audio was a pink, fluffy flower that glowed. He had a green mark on his right cheek; his pierced ears bore a pair of rather big and ornate wooden earrings. His white T-shirt was decorated with some English text. (I lost my heart in Vrindaban.) And a colourful towel covered his hips and legs. He was barefooted; one foot looked as if it had been broken and not set properly.

The youth didn't seem to notice anything amiss, his ears plugged by some earbuds. He was listening to a song in a language unknown to Omega.

The human-shaped plant went to some empty lines…the place where he had dropped Zero and began to hang the cloth to dry, blissfully ignorant of the Crimson death and the prone Copy.

As he worked, he chanted…

~Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare~

Omega had no idea what those words meant, but…it called to him on a very primordial level, something beyond his programming, beyond his CPU…right his DNA-soul…It was the same song the little abomination named Gargi had sung as she braided his hair.'

Omega could have lost himself to the song. If not that the being was dangerously close to Zero.

What would he do? How would he react to the catatonic red legend? Did he even know who it was?

The green-haired teen just kept putting cloth off the line as Omega waited with the bated breath for the discovery.

And then, it happened! In the bliss of the song he was hearing, the young man began to dance, and during one of his graceful pirouettes, His right foot bumps Zero's forehead. Causing greeny to emit a very high pitch scream.

"AH _KRISHNA!"_ He jumped back and fell on his back size, staring in horror at Zero. "Oh…Oh Krishna…ah…the hell?" He held his hand to his heart as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Oh my God, Is that…no, it can't be. Krishna, this can't be Zero…" He spoke in Japanese to…no one in particular. He turned to his invisible partner while he gestured to the prone reploid. "But he's a _videogame character!"_ he exclaimed…and then paused….

"Crap, no. your right…" he crawled to where Zero was lying. " He Bhagawan…he looks _so_ messed up. Hey! HEY! Zero…" He clapped his hands by the catatonic reploid audio receptor. "Wake up, man…c'mon, Uto uto, Jago jago!"

' _What are those words?_ ' _Omega_ wondered…He could get out of his hiding spot and attack the guy. His body may be powerful, but Omega had yet to meet a plant that could attack back.

No…it was not to protect his obsolete copy. He just wanted to check if he could kill a plant.

And then zero reacted…he opened his eyes and looked at the youth.

"Zero! Holy cow,…you're alive. I can't believe it…Krishna, you're starting us on another adventure, aren't you…I can't believe he's here… Zero, you are safe, no one will hurt you…oh crab apple, what am I supposed to do!?" The youth babbled on, keeping a hand on Zero's unmoving chest…and yet the broken reploid remained silent…still looking at the youth.

He pauses, putting his right hand on Zero's cracked helmet. "Hey…Zero, what happened to you?"

No answers.

"Krishna…He's not speaking...do you know what happened to him?" he paused, listening for an answer. "Oh hell…yeah. No, I remember now, Ragnarock…" he ran a thumb on the Z-brain. "Dang, and I thought I had it hard. Zero, don't worry, I know some people who will help you. You won't have to face any more crazies in this lifetime…C'mere bud." He lifted the unresponsive reploid off the ground. "Up you go…Huh; I thought you'd be heavier. C'mon, let's get you out of the rain…" the youth turned his heels and came face to face with Omega.

Both robot and plant stared at each other… Or he was staring at the colourful silk cloth Omega was hiding behind.

"…and you are?" The youth asked.

Omega stepped out from behind his hiding place, trying to appear as intimidating as possible. "I am Omega Zero…." He curled his lips and intensified the red glow of his eyes. "The God of Destruction."

The youth stared…again. Before making an _o_ shape with his mouth…and making the sound also."Oh yeah… I remember you. "ware wa Messiah Nari!' Your Weil's puppet!"

Omega bristle. "NO, I'M NOT!" He exclaimed. "I am his Messiah!"

The greenette blinked… and then gave a small smile. "Right…join the club then. Anyway, just come with me out of this weather; I doubt the rain's good for you…Or zero."

Omega clenched his fist and sneered. "Why should I follow you?"

"Because you're made out of metal and were standing on a roof without any lightning rod. Zero's already in a pretty rough shape, and I don't want you to be in the same way." The youth kindly explained. "I'm Karuna-Sindhu das, by the way…sorry I can't shake your hand at the moment."

Omega grunted…he had never been in such a situation in his life…violence he could deal with, hatred, anger, murderous intent, grovelling, and solitude were practically all of his life, but this…kindness…

Karuna-Sindhu shrugged and ran back inside, leaving a trail of…

' _Are those buster shots? Why are they not moving? Why are they staying? What the hell is that plant-guy?'_ Omega stared at the anomaly, trying to grasp…to make sense of what he had just seen.

"Omega! C'mon man, get inside!" Karuna-Sindhu yelled over the din of the falling rain. "I can already feel the electricity in the air; hurry up!"

With no other option and unwilling to leave the only familiar face he knew, the crimson reploid followed the human-shaped plant to a somewhat drier stairwell.

"There you ar-"

- _ **BOOM-**_

White light filled their collective vision as an explosion occurred on the roof…a lightning bolt had struck the tin 'shed where he and Zero had previously taken shelter.

Omega stared, the shed was completely destroyed and the place the lightning had struck appeared to have been blown apart….the place in question just so happened to coincide with his hiding spot.

He had been hit by many fully charged Haddoken…but never lightning. The amount of energy that had been released would have been enough to inflict some pretty heavy damage on his current frame…

He took a moment to gather himself…no, he had not been scared just…just…

"Oh, Krishna…" He heard Karuna whispered. "Are you ok there, Omega?" the greenette asked, his voice high pitched.

"…yes…I'm…" he vented out. And Karuna began to laugh. Omega whirled around to face the youth, how dared he-

Karuna was kneeling on the floor; his eyes were wide open, and Omega could hear that his pulse had quickened. He had tucked Zero's head protective under his chin, and four wings had sprouted from his back, wrapping protectively around Zero. He had a…very nervous smile on his face.

"Damn Indra…He's not even armed." He got up from the floor and, the four extra appendages receded and went down the stair as fast as he could…and Omega followed suit.

* * *

He was in a room…it was dry. The wall were of a cream colour. He was lying on a piece of fabric.

Four overly powerful presence were in the room; one had blue hair and his skin was as dark as the other three…three more humans were there; as was Omega…they stared at him, speaking in Hindi to one another.

The green-haired youth…Karuna-Sindhu came back, he was soaking wet and carrying some items. Two towels, some sponges and a bucket of water.

The song kept playing…the Hare Krishna song…

It was soothing. He quite liked it...

He would have liked it.

Karuna-Sindhu spoke in Hindi…and then kneeled beside him. Omega was nearby…no knowing what to do with himself. He kept looking at the people like Alouette, a new Cyber-elf.

He looked so innocent…like Alouette…

' _was she real?... was it all real?'_

"What are you looking at, Copy-Z?"

Copy-Z…

Maybe he was a copy…but then, why did he remember so much…

X, Sigma, Doppler, colonel, Iris…Eurasia…

He didn't want to remember…

Karuna-Sindhu, threw a towel to Omega and kneeled beside Zero, he began cleaning the mud off of his body…still humming the soothing song.

_~Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare~_

Zero closed his eyes…just listening to the song as Karuna-Sindhu manipulate d his damaged body, cleansing him of the mud and water that had accumulated.

Zero would never have expected he could feel so at peace.

* * *

Omega had never been in such a place…a 'home.' It really was but a few rooms that were quite overcrowded with a man, a woman and…a smaller human, Karuna-Sindhu, Himself, Zero and that other guy.

It was also another powerful human-like being; he had messy blue hair and very dark skin. His eyes were of a bluish grey, and he was 'talking' to Karuna-Sindhu with his hands. He felt like death…and yet glowed with life and bliss.

Karuna-Sindhu had called him Yavata, and he seemed to be a connection between the two. A connection that ran relatively deeply.

Kind of like X and Zero…

Omega turned his attention back to Karuna-Sindhu and Zero. A.K.A the useless doll, the dead weight, the obsolete copy.

His only link back to normality, now as good as deactivated.

Karuna sung as he gently brushed away dry-ish mud and dirt from Zero while Yavata held the limp reploid in a sitting position. absentmindedly removing whatever twigs, leaves and whatever else had managed to lodged itself in the legendary copy's…

' _Is it a heat sink? A universal,_ _multi-stranded_ _gold_ _connector_ _like I have? A fancy-looking antenna?'_ to be honest, Omega had never stopped to think about _why_ he had such long, blond, beautiful hair in the first place…and why did no one thought of using the oblivious design flaw against him…and Zero. _'No matter, once we get back, I'll have fun plucking them!'_ it would be interesting to see what process would go into fatal error once those golden strands were gone.

But for this to even is a possibility, Zero needed to stop his extreme moping and start moving again. And Omega would do everything in his power to see this happen. No, the walking apocalypse did not care about his double…at all. He just wanted a good challenge, a good fight.

He didn't care about Zero's well-being, He didn't care whether he lived or died like the dog he was…Omega just wanted his best challenge, his best thrill, the one who had mercilessly slaughtered him to pick up his sword and fight…not stay down like a broken doll!

Omega didn't like this broken Zero…maybe he'd fought with a broken Zero, but…not that broken!

It was wrong!

"Hey, Baba…Omega. Is everything alright? You look upset." Karuna noticed as he was fiddling with Zero's helmet, trying to pull it off by force. "C'mon…get off you!"

Omega winced…those helmets were not meant to be removed by force, and he feared for Zero's neck joint.

Yavat caught Karuna's attention and managed to find a latch hidden behind one to the audio protector/radio booster. The blue-haired youth easily released it, and Zero's own helmet was off.

"Thank, Yav'."

Yavat beamed and singed back.

"Yeah…wouldn't want his head to pop off…especially in our host presence." Karuna chuckled to himself, and Omega's fluid lines turned to ice.

Zero had almost died…

"Omega?"

The crimson reploid remained silent…never in his life had he been…he never felt so many conflicting emotions in his life. Emotions triggered by none-violent interaction with living entities other than Doctor Weil. It was the first time he was in a human dwelling, the first time he had been given a place to sit, some water to drink…

It was the first time…he had been treated as something else than a mere weapon of mass destruction.

And it was the first time...For the first time in his life, Omega realized that he cared for someone other than himself...

He cared for Zero...he didn't want him to die...he didn't want him to get hurt...

Omega…didn't know what to make of it, nor what to make of Zero's condition and how it seemingly affected him.

As much as he loathed to admit…

Karuna turned to Yavat. "Can you finish up yourself?"

Yavat Nodded with a gentle smile as Karuna-Sindhu got up and went to the far-off corner where Omega lurked.

"Omega…is everything alright?" the somewhat taller boy asked as gently as possible. Putting a gentle hand on the reploids shoulder.

"Why do you ask?" Omega moved away from that hand… and incalculable power that course through it.

He hated it; Karuna-Sindhu was more powerful then he…it should be the opposite.

"Because you almost got struck by lightning and...You're shaking like a leaf."

Omega turned his red eyes toward the youth and glanced at his hands…he was.

He gave a very shaky ex-vent…the events of the past few days…maybe even years…

It all came crashing down like the rain outside.

Omega…slid down the wall and buried his face in his knees…this was too much…too…too much…

* * *

"Hey, mom?" Karuna spoke on his phone. The rain had subsided, and he knew he had a few hours before it would be back. It had taken some time to calm Omega down to a point where he would stop shaking. It was now late afternoon, and the sun was setting behind the clouds, giving the Krishna blue banks a Radharani-gold hue.

He felt a pang in his heart…every single moment without his Krishna and the Queen of his heartfelt like a millennium…He missed Them…Their supreme divinity be damned.

"Yes, Beta? Is everything alright? How is Yavata?" His mother answered at the other end of the line.

"Yeah, the trip back to India was alright. Customs didn't stop us this time, and the taxi ride was…as smooth as one could expect in India. The week was uneventful, the Delhi temple is still as amazing as ever, and Balaram Prabhu still sees me like a son. Yavat's fine…no complaint from him." He told his mother, the saintly Mukhara. "Mom…I'm calling because...he Krishna."

"Just tell her plainly, my dear. It's not the first time she had faced such an event." Krishna spoke to him kindly.

"Mom…I just found Zero and Omega Zero at the top of the roof where I'm stopping by."

There was a pause.

"…are they from an Anime?"

"No ma, they're from this old Game-boy advance game called Mega Man zero. They are... I guess you can call them Robots."

"Robots…you can't be serious. How do they feel? Like Yavat? Kinari, Mayuri or-"

"They feel like Mayuri a bit." and they also felt like his mom...not something the old Shikaisen would like to hear.

Another pause.

"Anyway…Zero was the main Character and…he's not doing all that great, to be honest."

"Can you give me more details?"

"Yeah, basically, he's a habituated self-sacrificer. Last game I played, he 'died' do prevent a monster from crashing a kill sat on the last green place on earth." Karuna massaged his nose, trying to remember the event of his most played game…second really. He leaned his back to the railing, looking at the soaking wreck of what used to be the drying shed... and his mother's ruined gift from Ethiopia. "Physically, his arms are gone, his left eye is completely cracked, and he's…not completely unresponsive, but otherwise…yeah, he's pretty much done with this sh-"

"Beta!"

"Sorry, mom. But yeah, Zero's done with the game. Completely, and absolutely done…. I think we should try to contact Phalguni."

"I will also contact your sister, Kamala…Oh Krishna, I just realized; My Godsister Mandodari will be here in India; she's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I will try to see if she would be willing to make a detour from Vrindavana to Mayapur."

"Dang, Kanu really made sure Zero would be well surrounded. An animal psychologist, a youkai who can control emotion and a very potent mystic. "Karuna-Sindhu smiled; he couldn't wait to see the old Vaishnavi…and Fly-Phalguni. "Zero will be in good hands."

"Indeed…I wish we had this team when you, your friend and Yavata got extracted; it would've made the healing process easier."

"Mom, We had what we deserved. And it wasn't that bad! I had you, Radha and G-…Gurudev for a while."

"I know, But it's a mother's sacred duty to want the best for her son…especially a hero such as you."

"Mom, I'm no hero, Phalguni's the one who did everything. He's the hero ."

" Yes... a Hero and an Avatar." Mukhara paused for a bit. "Ah-ha! Alright, I just managed to find his page on Netopedia... And from what I can see, Zero carries his title of hero justly.." Mukhara closed the subject, moving back onto the new emergent.

Karuna snorted. "Yeah…yeah, he'll finally get the hero's respite he so desperately deserves."

"More like the main victim rescued," Mukhara whispered. Her pain was very clear to Karuna's ears.

"Yeah…and then there's Omega. He's basically the final boss of the third game; he's in Zero's original body and…well, he's a murderous machine of war. In the story, he, empowered by a corrupted Mother-elf…basically, a bunch of sentient Data so condense it had a physical form…also from Zero, Destroyed over ninety percent of the world's sentient life…and 99% of all plant life." Karuna explainwd with a grin, now knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

Only Parasurama and Sri Shiva could do something like that, and Kala. Not whatever Omega was. _'And that's not even half the problems with their scenario…I don't even think they had any interaction with a vanilla human yet.'_

Karuna's smile fell."Ma, Omega's like a child that knows only war, pain, hatred and destruction. He just had a mental breakdown just from being treated like another human being…" he whispered, he could still feel the reploid's uncontrollable shaking.

The Dryad remembered the first week out of Stephen's hermitage…many up where had…and many downs. But at least he had some more or less normal life with the boss and his adopted sister at the start, and then with his mother more recently…Omega and Zero...X and everyone else never had this luxury.

"He Radhe…" His mother whisper. Having somehow heard her son's thought.

"Yeah, well…he's actually functional. Omega was on the front page a few time you know; he had been lugging Zero all around Delhi, trying to hide him from people…he was sort of trying to make his way to Mayapur but...well, his GPS ain't all that great in India."

"How did he know about Mayapur?" Mukhara asked.

"Well, I think he met the Yamuna; she's the only one who can spirit people away from almost anywhere under the Sapta-rishi."

"Oh…Krishna Bhagavan." Karuna heard his mother…not cursed, but seek the shelter of the Lord.

"Yeah, so…Omega was trying to find it. He told me he tried to find Mayapur, but he got lost instead."

He heard his mother chuckle; some lightness had returned to the conversation. "Delhi just the worst. Anyway, from what I have gathered, we now have two more sparrows to take care of. Try to find a way to bring them with you; I will try to book you a ticket for tomorrow's night train. Not that you mind, I hope?."

"Oh no, not at all…it'll be great if we could get Zero to move by himself…but realistically, we may need to sneak him in. I have an idea how but…." Karuna licked his lips. "Ma, can we have two pieces of big luggage with us on the train?"

"…do you think they will tolerate being stuff in a luggage for eight hours straight?" Mukhara pointedly asked.

"Ma, Zero's not moving…he kind of reacting to Prabhupada and Harinama-Prabhu, but otherwise, he's not breathing, he's not moving, and I would rather not have to explain myself to security about lugging a corps in a public place." He explained…He had to do this once, not his finest moment. "And Omega has the fangs, the red glowing eyes and the jumpiness of a cornered Rakshasha. I may be able to soften him up so we can get him on the train with us, but we would need a miracle for Zero. And yes, I have already prayed, and Krishna's…well, He Has a Plan, and He's keeping mum about it."

"As always." He could hear his mother smile. She was the definition of 'in God we trust.'

Meanwhile, Yavata came up the stairs to be with his Bhakti-partner and saviour. He looked tired and worried.

"Hey, Yav! How are they doing? And how are our hosts about the whole ordeal?" Nanashi asked quickly.

Yavat, dressed in a dark green gamsha and a plain T-shirt, began to sign, his blue-gray eyes tired. : Mother Ranga's taking it like a champ. Calling them auspicious guests... Gupta-Narayana. Mister Ashok Prabhu's a bit leery. I think he thinks Zero may be a corps and Omega a Rakshasha.:

"I wouldn't blame him; Om's got the glowing red eyes and the teeth to match…and the attitude also."

: Well…I've met pricklier people; he will get over it. He's very protective of his twin, though, kind of like how you and Koromaru were protective of me after my attempt.: Yavat explained. : He's scary…but he's also very scared himself."

"Yeah. Hey, Can you give me a sec'? I need to end my call with mom."

: can you tell her hi for me? :

"Ma, Yavat tells you hi." He informed his mother, who chuckled at the end of the connection.

A wave of gratitude washed over him…five years ago; he used to be an orphan name Nanashi, nameless. Now…

He had found his birth Mother. No, his birth mother had found him back…he had never been unwanted, never abandoned. And God, Krishna had preserved him…and gave the ex-hunter his life back. More than a simple resurrection, He had given him everything.

"Kripa?"

"Oh, sorry, mom…I just realized how fortunate I am." He rasped… "Ma…what can I give Krishna?"

"Beta, you already gave yourself to him…"

"I…that's not enough."

"Then make sure those two 'robots' make it back home, back to Godhead in this life-time."

Karuna-Sindhu closed his eyes and prayed to his Guru, Gauranga, and Nityananda to send their rain of Mercy upon those two souls. "Yes, mom…listens, I need to go to bed, and I don't want Yavat to suffer more jet-lag than necessary."

"Alright K.K., rest well, and I will see you in two days. And please keep me posted on Zero's and Omega's progress."

"Will do."

"Love you, son."

"Love you too, mom." He bade, unashamed at the open show of affection. Then he closed the line and pocketed his phone. Yavat then came and sat on the balustrade, unafraid of the height…not that he could fall to his death anymore than Karuna-Sindhu could.

: So, what's the plan, Karun?: Yavat signed.

"The plan is, we go to bed, you sleep until its morning, and I keep an eye on those two for now. Then tomorrow, we do some shopping, and we try to prepare them for a violence-free train ride." He clapped his partner on his back. "Come, the floor mat is calling."

In the room they were staying in, Zero had yet to move, and Omega was at his side…seemingly sleeping.

Well, not quite at his side, the red-eyed reploid had shifted his position so that he would be situated onto and across Zero's chest, protecting the broken hero with his own body.

Omega may have been a menace in his scenario…but now Karuna wondered how much of a monster he really was. And how he really viewed Zero.

: Poor twins…I don't know how Omega managed to cope seeing his brother like this…: Yavat sadly signed as he gazed at the two 'robots.'

: Yav…they are not brothers.: Karuna Signed back. : I'll try to explain what little I understand…but basically, they are from a hermitage that's the basis for the Mega man X Seri-:

Yavat caught Karuna's hands. : Say no more…I knew I recognized Zero from somewhere."

"You do?" Karuna (very quietly) exclaimed.

: Yes, I used to be a fan of the series…: Yavat eyes shone with unshed tears. : Between Zero and I…I dare say his scenario was worst. Did you know he had to kill his love interest? He also died trice, all of them in vain self-sacrifices. He also suffered from amnesia twice. Oh, and he was…is the premier carrier of the pure Zero viruses, the most powerful strain.:

Karuna winced, "ouch…"

Omega made a noise and began stirring. Noticing this, Karuna covered his mouth.

: I also know Omega is the 'original' body and Zero the Original in a copy body.: Yavat resumed, too tired to write an essay about the most unfortunate robot master in history. : But since both of them are Identical...and how Omega is attached to Zero despite being enemies, I'm calling them twins and brothers…, it's easier than always signing Omega and Zero.:

: I bet Omega's in the 'copied' body and Zero's in the original …: Karuna signed as he went to the yoga math on the floor.

: So true...: Yavat concluded as he let out a jaw-cracking yawn. : Damn... I thought those were just made-up stories... more hermit victims.: The Yaksha gave a very heavy frown... and another, jaw-cracker of a yawn.

: Yav…I thought you would have Jet-lag.: Karuna-Sindhu mildly accused as he laid on the thin mat. : I feel so useless now.

: Don't worry, Karun, the world's strongest sleeping pill can't knock me out…that's still your job.: he sloppily signed as he took his usual position behind the green-headed youth, curling around the somewhat taller boy as he buried his nose is Karuna's hair. After a minute, Yavat was out like a light, free from his usual nightmares and insomnia.

Before closing his eyes, Karuna sends some prayers to the lord of his heart.

One was for Zero's recovery, the other was for Omega's welfare, one was for Yavat, and another was for the world and the last…

' _Oh my dear Radhe, oh queen of Krishna's butter-like heart. Please, tonight, if you so desire, engage me in your service to Him.'_

And then he grabbed his Japa-beads and began chanting the Maha-mantra, savouring every syllable that danced on his tongue.

He was with His Krishna, for His name was no different from Him. Karuna could have gone deeper in his meditation, but he knew Krishna wanted him to keep an eye on those two souls confined in a mechanical cage.

' _Like I was, all those years ago.'_

And thus he chanted as the moon crossed the sky and the rain and lightning fell.

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."


	3. Chapter 3

WARNING…ENERGY LEVEL AT 10%

Omega groggily opened his eyes…he had never felt so low-battery in his life; under him, Zero was still.

How could this have happened?

And then he remembered…Zero had been too low on energy himself. Thus omega had plugged his own power supply onto the glitchy copy…no that he cared or anything, he just didn't want to be alone with the scary powerful plant and the other mute guy…

Oh, the three other humans.

' _Power…need…power...sunshine…'_ Under him…Zero fared no better, his self-repair sucking more energy than it had any right to.

He still looked like something that had been dragged out of a graveyard, so Omega had no clue what it was trying to repair…

Nevertheless, the crimson reploid began to seek a source of power, but it seemed the whole city was in a blackout once again. No energy flowed through the walls.

Omega tried to raise his head…only to have it fall again with a small 'tunk.'

He could dimly hear some shuffling around…it was the plant guy…Karuna…he could feel his hand on his back.

"Omega? Omega, is everything alright?" He frantically asked.

The murderous reploid could have snapped at the plant back, but he barely had any energy left even to growl. "looooow…power…sun…Zero…Low…low…low."

And then Karuna was gone…only to come back with something that radiated enough energy to power up a small city. it was also slightly radioactive. "Here…um…Oh Krishna, how do I plug them in…what? No way…alright, let's try this out then." Karuna once again spoke to his imaginary friend. He then took Omega's braided hair and stuffed it in one of the generator's ports.

Almost immediately, the strands of nanite took the shape of the suitable connector, and pure energy flowed within omega and, extension, Zero. The crimson death let out a sigh as he felt his level steadily rising. Not as fast as if he was alone but quickly enough to have him operational after two minutes.

He got up from Zero, careful not to jostle the umbilical connector that linked him and his copy together, and sat on his folded legs, bringing the generator to his chest.

"Are you Okay there, Omega?" Karuna asked, a hand on Omega's shoulder, showing more concern than Weil's reploid knew what to do with.

Omega moved away…he didn't feel comfortable being touched by a stranger. Especially one so powerful. _'Yamuna hugged me…it was nice, she didn't hurt me.'_ A small voice spoke in his heart.

Yes, she was definitely not to cross, as much as he hated to admit...but she felt nice, she smelled nice and...she was nice...

As long as Omega ignored the fact that she had abandoned him and Zero to fend for themselves out in the crazy, water-soaked, filled city of New-Delhi.

And Karuna also gave off the feeling of someone who didn't want to hurt anyone, not even a fly, but...

But Omega had no means to protect himself...or Zero. And he had no idea what Karuna-Sindhu wanted of him...and Omega could not conceive why such a powerful being didn't kill Zero, a dead weight, at his first opportunity.

Weil had deleted and destroyed those he was as useless without any remorse...and Zero would've been sent to the smelting pot...or put on display like a sick trophy.

' _Is this how being worried feels like?'_ It was a terrible feeling, and yet Omega could not escape it…

He was worried, concern about the welfare of Zero…someone who he would try to and would be killed by on multiple occasions. It made no sense…and yet Omega could not help it.

He cared about Zero…he worried about him…He wanted his only constant in his life not to die…otherwise…

"Omega?" Karuna-Sindhu broke Omega out of his churning mind. "It's Okay …we'll get through this together." The green-haired monstrosity spoke with soothing tones. It put the red ravage at ease. "You're worried about him. It's alright; you don't have to be ashamed about it. It's natural, completely natural." Karuna's eyes shone with unending compassion…and it was clear he wanted to touch the crimson death again.

Omega brought the generator closer to his chest…short of Hugging his obsolete copy.

"You're scared…aren't you?" Karuna observed. "It's all-new for you. You don't have to be ashamed of it; everyone will get into crazy, confusing situations…I mean, I was in your situation five years ago, so I know what you're going through."

Omega raised his glowing red eyes towards the powerful being…

"You know, I won't hurt you."

"You're…powerful."

"Yes." Karuna nodded.

"…you will hurt me…" Omega knew how it worked…The more powerful you were, the more pain you liked to inflict on people. That's what Doctor Weil had said…and that how doctor Weil acted…that's what he did for fun. And that's how Omega had fun…

Power was fun; because you could control people…you could do whatever you liked with them…so the opposite was also true.

A look of sorrow drew itself on Karuna's scared face. "No…I won't. I know I'm scary powerful Omega, I know my abilities…but I don't want to hurt you or anyone. My power, I swore I would use it to protect those weaker than me." The powerful youth spoke gently as he placed his right hand on his heart, quietly not to scare Omega further.

"…I don't like being scared," Omega mumbled as he lowered his head. He hated to admit it…he hated being weak.

This whole situation…he felt flat-footed. What was he supposed to do? How was he to react? Most of his powers were locked away; he was out of the armour…

The only time he had been out of the armour was at the time when he would face Zero, and Zero and X…it would be when Zero would kill him again…when his cycle would restart. There had also been the times the Doctor Weil had taught him the truth about the weak and the strong…that time, Omega had been weak.

"Nobody likes to be, Omega…and you don't have to be either." Karuna sadly explained. "Yavata and I are aspiring Vaishnava's. We follow the path of none violence…so no, you don't have to fear us." He pointed to his forehead, where the U-shaped mark glowed with benevolence. "You can trust those who wear this Tilaka...even if it's in different styles...there's are some rascals who wear it but...you won't see many of 'em. This I assure you."

Omega nodded wearily...he would keep this information in mind.

"Omega…if you don't mind me asking but…how old are you? You know, from your activation time?" Karuna asked. Omega noticed that Yavat was awake behind him and looking at him with curious yet gentle eyes.

Omega closed his eyes… "I…I'm over a hundred, I guess. But it's hard to calculate with all the repetitions I went through…and I kind of slept through around…I guess ninety-five of those years?" It was so blurry, as if in a dream. Actually, Omega was not even sure he had lived those four years of glorious bloodshed and chaos.

"So you're like ten or something?" Karuna asked.

"Maybe…" he became quiet. "But…I don't think I really lived that long," Omega admitted.

"Because you only knew death and strife, right?"

Omega nodded; he felt so small, so insignificant. The past events leaving him in a state of constant bewilderment.

"Karuna-Sindhu…what am I supposed to do now? I can't kill anything, and I can't leave Zero…there's no war…Weil's not here, X is not here, and Zero's…not OK…what am I supposed to do? What…"

"Why do I exist? What's my purpose?" Omega rasped out…he never had the time to think and never had the time to ponder his situation. He had thought the cycle of constant death and pain was all that there was… "The elf-war…did it even happen? There are humans everywhere, no Cyber-elves are to be seen, and Zero and I are the only two reploids around…"

"Omega, Omega, calm down. It's alright…everything is fine." As Karuna spoke, Omega could feel some of his serenity washing away the panic he felt.

That was another first…Omega had never panicked before.

"Omega…Listen to me carefully," Karuna spoke gravely, maintaining eye contact with the so-called mad reploid. "What you lived through…It never happened." The Vaishnava revealed.

Omega gritted his teeth… "Then why do I remember it? I remember all the time I've killed humans and reploids alike! I remember facing X and that useless doll." He jerked his head toward the very still, arm-less Zero. "I remember every buster shot, every sabre strike! I remember the screams and…and how can it-"

"Hey, hey, whoa there. You don't want to wake our hosts up." Karuna shushed him. Both hands flew to Omega's shoulder. The reploid tensed at the sudden contact but could not move away in fear that Zero would get unplugged. "They may be able to sleep through a cricket match, but I doubt they will remain asleep if you start shouting. " Karuna-Sindhu explained with a gentle smile.

"OK, Let me reword it; it's not that it didn't happen to you. But here, we never had the elf-war. The earth is not scorched…climate change is a thing, though, and we are still recovering from the last pandemic, but we still have forest and bustling cities going on, and no, we don't have robotic slaves either. At least, none who are sentient. And we are still in the twenty-first century." Karuna explained. "Do you understand?"

Omega nodded, trying his best not to show how terrified he was…

"Hey...don't be scared, alright?" Karuna spoke as he gave a self-humorous smile. "Geez, I feel like Lord Narashima-deva when he told his Pujari to Chill." *true story.*

Omega stared.

"Narashima-deva's another form Of Krishna, The supreme personality of Godhead." Karuna gave a short answer, not elaborating much, to Omega's great relief. "Anyway, right now, all that you know is gone. You now have the chance to start a brand new life, a life without violence, without wars…much. A life in which you don't have to get killed over and over again…how does that sound, Omega? Are you ready to have a life?"

Omega looked deeply at Karuna-Sindhu…he didn't act like doctor Weil…and while he was powerful, he didn't seem to desire to hurt. His eyes were innocent and yet were older than his body. The crimson death could not help but relax…

The words of Yakumo Yamuna resounded once more in his memory bank…

Omega never had a life; he didn't even know what it meant…just that it wasn't constant fighting and destruction.

He turned his eyes toward Zero, the Copy still unresponsive; there was some slight movement, though, and now that he had a steady power source.

' _Maybe something is wrong with his core.'_ Omega mused….he hoped not; an energetic core was not something one could easily fix.

He felt Karuna-Sindhu gently squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, we won't let Zero die…I know some people who could fix him, even giving him a new pair of Arms." Omega turned his head toward the plant person…something, another feeling glowed in his core…a warm, thankful feeling that seemed to radiate like the sun.

He felt grateful.

"Omega…why don't you stay with us?" Karuna proposed with a kind smile. "Yavata and I live in this beautiful place called Mayapur, it's nice and quiet, and if you want to flex your sword arms, I and my mom would love to have another sparring partner, you know?," he grinned. "you don't have to stay with us forever of course, but at least until you know what you want to do."

"And what if I go on a killing spree?" He asked with a fangy smirk. Not that he could anymore, he was just curious.

"Then I will personally remove you from your current body and send you to hell." Karuna's eyes flashed with a tinge of red, the warning very clear.

"There's no hell for a soulless machine." That's what the doctor had said.

"Omega, a machine doesn't have emotions and desires…you have _plenty_ of emotions and desires," Karuna explained, looking the murderous reploid right in his optic; once again, only sorrow and compassion could be detected.

"Just some chips simulating them…Their just… glitching right now." Omega tried to brush the silly concept away; everybody knew Reploids had no souls; they were just some clever programs making a body move and interact with the world around them. Nothing more…

' _But then…why do I fear? Why do I have emotions if I'm just a made for killing? Why did Doctor Weil even bothered? Is it because…'_

"Omega…are you aware of the room you're in? Of Yavata? Of Zero? Of your self?"

Omega nodded; of course, he was aware; he was even aware of the mosquito flying outside the windows and the fake cyber-elves floating around Yavat.

"Do you have feelings? Or is it just calculation? All cold numbers."

"No... I do have emotions." And Omega had been made acquaintance to quite a few ever since his meeting with Yamuna.

"Then you exist…" Karuna revealed."In a way, it's true that we don't have a soul." He then conceded as he scratched his right ear. "I mean, we are the soul stuck in a body made of gross matter; we can't really have ourselves now, do we?"

Omega stared blankly as he remained silent…he had so much information to process…and revelations. "So…I'm a soul?"

"Yes! And you are dear to God." Karuna got up from his crouch, stretching himself languorously. "OK…What time is it anyway?" He asked to no one in particular. Yavat taped on the floor twice. "Uh…close enough to the morning for me. Do you want to take your shower first, Yav?" He asked his bedmate, who shook his tousled head, still looking sleepy. "Alright…Say, do you want to take a shower?" Karuna-Sindhu returned his attention to the Crimson reploid."

"No, I had plenty." Omega answer back; he was close to charge fully, so He unplugged himself from the generator and connected it directly Zero to it, know that the Red Legend needed the energy more than him. He heard Karuna stifle a laugh.

"Omega...I was asking if you wanted to clean yourself?"

"Clean myself?" He never had to do anything like this…not even when caked in the blood of his ene…of his quarries.

Karuna stared at him funny. "Omega…do you know basic hygiene?"

"…"

It was then that Omega Realized that this new chapter in his life would be an interesting one.

* * *

"So…that's you clean yourself," Omega spoke from his vantage point of a small stool as Karuna finished his ablution.

It was interesting to see the human (as human at this…plant thing was) moved and flexed, twisted and bent. The crimson death never had a chance to study how they looked under their clothes…and how they would shower and eliminate waste.

He didn't see how Karuna did a system purge, but from the sound of it, it included both liquid and solid. And it was obliviously not from his foot valve.

The room he was in was quite big for its use, and shiny tiles covered its floor and walls, their surface reflecting the light off the extra stable buster shot Karuna had casually generated as a light source. Omega could not help but notice how one could wash the whole room…a perfect place to get rid of someone…

At the far side of the room was a showerhead and a tap right under; there was also a water heater that uselessly hung aloft, for no electricity flowing through it. There were also a few buckets, what Karuna had called a toilet and a sink where the plant-like boy had cleaned his mouth and tongue with a twig. He had also shown Omega how to do it…not that the reploid had anything to clean.

Reploids can't get cavities after all. Still, omega had to admit; his mouth felt…better.

Karuna had just finished cleaning his surprisingly muscular body…no, the boy was not overly bulky, but he seemed to be built as an agile fighter who could hit hard and get out... He also sported many green scares on his body; the most prominent one was on his chest…it seemed like someone had ripped Karuna-Sindu's heart out some time back.

"How did you survive that?" Omega asked as he analyzed Karuna's upper back; there seemed to be four sprouts coming out of his skin there.

Two green ones and two purple ones.

"Survive what?" Karuna asked as he dried himself off; only a towel was around his waist. The Vaishnava had what would commonly be called a bucket wash and had managed to remain decent during the entire ritual.

And no, the cold water didn't seem to disturb him at all.

"It looks like your heart got ripped out." Omega pointed at the ugly green scar.

Karuna looked at the now healed gash and smiled. "Good eyes, bud. Yeah, Got my heart ripped out by a Donkey-peacock Mesopotamian demon five years back." Karuna's eyes softened as he touches the green area. "God didn't let me die, and…well, I guess it grew back." The survivor spoke dismissively.

"Wait…God saved you?" Omega asked with a raised brow. "That's…Krishna, right?" He remembered Yamuna speaking this name. What was it, a week ago? "Why?"

Karuna turned his warm, brass-coloured eyes toward the reploid, a bright smile illuminating the room. "Yes, that's His name." he averted his eyes as he began leaking from his eyes. "And…He did it because that's what he wanted. Nothing more."

"You're leaking…"

"I know… He cleared his throat. "Anyway, it's your turn, Omega." Karuna dismissed as he gave the walking Armageddon the bucket and a bar of soap.

Having watched the entire procedure, the crimson original got up…and Karuna stopped him.

"Hey…before you go in…maybe you want to st-to remove your armour?" Karuna informed. "It's more effective this way…and I forgot to tell you last night, but…you also need to keep your boots off."

"Why?" Omega asked as he removed his helmet…so far, Karuna-Sindhu hadn't shown any sign of aggression, nor did he seemed like a guy who would kill someone…willingly at least. He was still mighty, so the crimson death still kept his sensor on him.

"Because shoes are stupidly filthy. It's actually a great sign of disrespect to keep them in a house. "Karuna explains. "I didn't tell you yesterday since…well." He let the phrase hung.

Omega grunted as he removed his armoured top, the white pelvis guard, and the pair of holsters, his dirty gauntlet and finally his boots.

It felt…so weird to be naked. Omega had absolutely no protection at all. Especially to his very fragile hip joint.

"You're not removing your under armour?" The plant interrupted Omega again as he was _just_ about to empty the bucket content over his head…just like Karuna did.

' _No…you can't kill him. Unfortunately…'_ Oh, how he wished he could rough the plant up, unfortunately, there was very little he could do. "Can you rip your own skin off?" Omega snapped instead.

"Wow, ok, dude, chill. I didn't know…I thought it was like a black latex suit or something." Karuna raised his hands as a show of surrender; he still wore the same, infuriating smile.

Omega…felt on edge; there was something about the plant; he looked human, was way too powerful and…way top nice with him…and the crimson reploid had no trust for him in such a convenient place.

"Can you untie your hair?" Karuna asked.

"No…Gargi did something to them; I can't remove the damn ribbon." And he couldn't kill, couldn't destroy anything, and his techniques were all blocked.

"Uh…I wonder why. Here, let me try." Karuna got up from his seat and went to where Omega stood, and then he removed the pink frilly ribbon

_**Hatred, Madness, rage and power flooded Omega like a tsunami, leaving him thirsty for** _ _**blood and the sound of crushing bones and-** _

He was on the Floor; Karuna was sitting on his back and had retied his hair. In such proximity, Omega could now feel the full extent of the Vaishnava's raw power.

The reploid scanned his memory and entire frame…no, he didn't remember how he ended up in a puddle of water on the floor with Karuna sitting on him. And he still had all his limbs attached, thankfully.

The powerful Vaishnava had this weird smile on his face, his pupil glowing a bit redder than Omega would have liked. "Ok…we are _not_ going to do that again, shall we?"

The crimson death had no idea what Karuna was referring to…but he nodded anyway.

"What the hell happened?" He tried to keep the wavering out of his voice…

"Oh, you went a bit murderous here…I had to stop you. It's alright; nobody is hurt, and _for the love of Sweet baby Krishna,_ _never. Ever. Remove the ribbon, or I will personally_ _ **end you.**_" The powerful plant-like being darkly intoned with a very fake, very bright smile. "Is that clear?"

Omega could only nod meekly…this, he was used to. But Weil never had been so…gentle with him.

He didn;t need repair for once, and everything was accounted for.

Karuna got off Omega's back and helped him off the tile floor, grumbling about a crazy morning and how it was too early for that type of crap.

The rest of the cleansing Ritual happened without any more disturbances…except that now Omega knew he would have to watch himself closely least Karuna utterly destroyed him.

"Hey…Omega?" The powerful being addressed the crimson reploid.

Omega paused his drying and fully turned to Karuna-Sindhu. The Vaishnava had lost his smile and looked at Omega with deep concern. "I know…I'm sorry about what happened. Just…" He sighed as he ran a hand in his green hair. "I don't want to hurt you, Omega, and I didn't do this to scare you…I just didn't want…"

"I'm scaring you." Omega let a smirk twist his feature; it felt good to know that even with everything locked behind the stupid ribbon, he could still make Karuna squirm.

"No…I just don't want to kill you if I don't have to. But there' some people I care about in this apartment. People I wouldn't hesitate to lay my life for." He sighed again. " Anyway, we took long enough." And with that, both exited the shower room.

What awaited them out was Yavata and Zero, The weaker copy was kneeling up on one knee, and the blue-haired youth held him as he struggled to remain stable as he did his damn best to lunge at Omega.

Zero's eyes were wide open; one optic cracked beyond repair. His right aperture was fully bloomed, he was venting heavily, and his entire frame shook as he struggled to get out of Yavata's clutches while simultaneously remaining upright. The Red hero had this intense look of determination burning in his eyes.

Omega knew this look; Zero's battle mode was engaged and running. The Crimson death never felt so happy in his life. He openly grinned at his broken yet moving copy…he still looked like a pile of scrap, a moving pile of scrap.

A living pile of scrap.

"Yav'! What the hell happened?" Karuna asked as he all but ran to Zero's side, holding him still as the maverick hunter struggled against the two youths…still trying to throttle Omega with whatever strength he had left.

' _Zero…you_ _frigging_ _Bastard…'_ Omega grinned widened as something bloomed in his stone cold-core. Zero was awake, he was moving, and looked murderous, his great ire aimed at Omega…As it should.

Yavata stared owlishly at Karuna-Sindhu as if to say, 'I should be the one asking that!'

"I removed Omega's ribbon." Yavata's eyes grew even wider. "Yeah, that was a seal, yes, it's from Yamuna…no, I'm never doing that ever again in a heavily populated area."

Suddenly, some undefined emotion passed over Zero's face, and the broken reploid once again slumped down like a broken doll, making the two powerful youth yelp as they tried not to let the broken legend face plant on the ground…Along With Omega's moral about the whole situation.

After they managed to reposition Zero onto the carpet, reconnecting him onto the egg-shaped generator, a moment of heavy silence passed…

Omega whirled around to see the Husband and wife looking at the pathetic scene; the woman looked extremely worried while the man was unreadable. He turned his ruby glances back at the broken trio, Yavata looked extremely concern, and Karuna gently caressed Zero's now messy hair with a general feeling of pity. After a moment, he got up from the ground.

"Yavata…I'm gonna call mom. Keep an eye on them while I'm out?"

Yavat nodded.

Omega…began to fiddle with his braid…Zero…the way he had shut down…the way he laid on the ground…

Omega moved closer to his…to his Zero and took him in his arms, holding him protectively to his chest.

He was upset…and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

In Mayapur, in a forest Hermitage hidden from view and protected from the ambient noise, Mukhara spoke on her headset in the shelter of her simple home. The air was heavy with humidity yet still held the cooling rays of the moon. "Phalguni, Are you sure you can't make it?"

"Sadly, I'm positive," Phalguni answered from the other side of the world. "My wife is expecting at any moment…"

"So I've heard," Mukhara asked with a playful smirk. Her Godsister had kept her elder in devotion up to date about _every single_ event of her first pregnancy. "Congratulation! Now I know why Radha was so happy." Mukhara smiled at the good news, knowing full well that whoever was born Of Phalguni and Radha-Shyamasundara would be great devotees; it was the Boon he had received from the Lord after the whole SMT debacle.

"Yes, but it also means that I absolutely can't travel for the next month or so…and I also have plenty of patients who require my presence."

"I understand; we all have our duties to follow. You do not have to feel guilty about this." After Mukhara and Radha extracted him and her son and whatever wanted out from Stephen's Hermitage, Flynn took a shine to Reiki and Hypnotherapy. After a few years, he was now a very successful practitioner in Japan where he lived with Radha-Shyamasundara and Asahi. His wife and adopted daughter, respectively.

"Anyhow, keep me in touch about them. We may be able to help them…we practically went through similar ordeals. I will start treatment right now on Zero; distance is not a problem for me…"

"Indeed…Alright, Phalguni, please keep me posted on Radha's progress."

"I will, thank you…oh, and Asahi say Haribol."

"Hare Krishna to her also. Thank you Phalguni, just to know I can reach you is enough."

"Haribol."

"Hare Krishna"

The connection ended, and Mukhara let out a sigh. Phalguni would have been the best for those two, Especially Zero. _'But you have another plan, don't you, Krishna?'_

While she could not Hear Krishna as clearly as her son, she had a feeling that the mischievous master of countless universes would give a head wiggle with a crooked smile…a mind stealing smile.

Keeping this image firmly fixed in her mind, Mukhara grabbed her Japa beads and began to chant; she was at round 33, and she had 31 to go. _'I guess I'll ad_ _d_ _another ten rounds after that if I have time…Oh Krishna, please give me more time.'_ She prayed as she began reciting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, letting the Lord and his beloved in the form of sacred sound dance on her tongue.

Of course, those were extra rounds. She had already chanted the required sixteen's and simply could not stop so easily.

She lost track of time, place and identity, relishing the pastimes of Vraja that unfolded in the deepest confines of her purified heart. Transported, she didn't hear her phone ring until Rupa-Manjari told her to answer it; it was important.

This uncharacteristic break of Character was big enough for the ascended hermit to return to her material identity, back in her garden in the holy land of Bhauma-Mayapur.

' _Alright…if it's not a matter of life or death._ ' Mukhara grumbled as she whipped away her tears. She pressed a button on her head set, _'I should just throw away this useless piece of problems…but then, my son won't be able to reach me.'_

"Ma?" It was her Glorious son…her number one priority in this lifetime.

"Yes, beta. I'm here." He sounded worried. "How are your two protégé?" She asked.

She had read more about them…Zero definitely needed the break.

She heard her son let out a drawn-out sigh. _'Well, this doesn't sound all that encouraging.'_

"I woke up to a low battery Omega and Zero. Thankfully, they are compatible with Uttara's generator."

"That's good…" She paused. "Well, not really. But it's nice to know that we can keep them alive while they are in this 'robotic' doll form."

"Yeah. I also spoke to Omega; He's basically a ten-year-old stuck in the body of an oni. …He's terrified of me. Everything is new for him, and…" She sighed again, and Mukhara could see her son run a hand in his tousled hair. "I'm sure you've read what he and Zero went through…"

"Yes, I did."

"Just loop it a few times."

"Oh no." Knowing of his description…

"Oh, and Omega's power got sealed by Gargi with a very pretty ribbon that I can remove for some obscure reason. Thankfully, I realized my mistakes in time. Also, yeah…he's completely robotic, I have no idea how his Hermit made it, and I don't think it's reversible."

"I will be the judge of that," Mukhara spoke with confidence. Over the years, she had learned how to reverse the illusion's hermits would place on their 'playthings. Some decided to remain as they were, like Yavat; others joyfully cast of their illusory appearance to return to their original human forms, like Mai.

"Mom…It's not an illusion."

Mukhara remained silent. _'Oh Hell, pixie, I hope they're not what I think they are…Oh Prabhupada, please be merciful on them.'_

"Now…how about our Hero Zero?" She asked. Already dreading the answer.

"He…when I removed Omega's ribbon, it triggered him."

"What do you mean by triggered."

"Our broken blond tried his damn best to kill Omega without a pair of arms. The thing is, He can't stand upright, and Yavat was able to restrain him with some difficulty."

Mukhara closed her eyes. "Let me guess…That's not normal."

"Nope, not at all. Reploids are much stronger than a human. And while Yav's not like an earth human, his strength's not as it should. So yeah, now Omega's in the far corner of the room clutching Zero protectively while Yavat tries to calm our host down…" He paused for a bit. "Mama, please tell me you got our Ticket for tonight's train?" Karuna plaintively asked, causing his mother to smile.

"Yes, I was just about to send them to you. You will have to sneak Zero in, though." And then she paused. "Beta, if Zero is in such a bad state, why don't you bring him to Vrindavana?" She asked, with the month of Kartika starting so soon.

"Because...Mom, It's _Vrindavana_ , not just another dusty Indian village lost in the middle of nowhere. This is were Krishna showed his full sweetness and exposed His most intimate pastime with his pure devotees...Zero, I don't Think Vrinda-Devi will let him in...let alone approach the border of the holy place." Karuna Regretfully stated. "But Mayapur is open to all. Sure, Zee may not make it to Rudra-dwip in time. But we have a better chance to actually get him in the most merciful of Dham."

Mukhara inclined his head, a small, sad smile lighting her lips. "It's of sound logic beta. I then pray that our guest will make it to Gauranga's transcendental abode in one piece then. I will contact Uttara and see if she could do a house call. And I'll ask Shyama-Pryia to prepare Zero's final guest room. Now, do you have an idea how you'll bring our most esteemed guest home?"

"I do; Krishna gave me an idea. And what about Phalguni? Can he come?"

"No, Radha's about to deliver; he can't move until the babies are out; he will still treat Zero, though."

"Ah…Tell him congratulation for me…and ask him how Asahi's doing. Alright, I need to get the twins to the New-Delhi temple. And I also need to do a bit of shopping before we can leave for Mayapur. I'll see you tomorrow Ma."

"I'll see you soon, Hare Krishna. Oh, before I go, Asahi says Haribol. And she is doing well."

"Haribol to her too. Love you, mom." The line closed, and Mukhara sighed as she prayed to Lord Narashima-deva to protect all of those children. Then she returned to her Japa…just a few more rounds.

* * *

"Are you okay there, Omega?" Karuna asked the reploid as they flew in the early morning air. The rain had stopped, the air was more or less clean, and the sky was a much better option to travel…especially whit two robotic blonds with less than ideal mental stability.

In his arms, the reploid looked around the city with undeniable wonder, looking at everything with childlike wonder, turning his neck at angles impossible for a mere human to emulate. "Yeah…I never saw a city so big."

Karuna raised a brow. "really? But I thought You destroyed around seventy percent of the human population."

He felt Omega shrunk in his arms. "I...It was just a few settlements...and Neo-Arcadia..."

"Oh, I see. Make sense." The dryad nodded. "Sure, Delhi's pretty big, but it's not the biggest city in the world," Karuna answered to the Reploid in his arms. "And no, you can't kill any of them." The young man could just _feel_ the eye roll.

It had taken some time to convince Omega to let the devoted Dryad hold him; the Reploid simply did not trust him enough. Thankfully, once Yavata took flight with Zero, Omega had changed his tune.

Karuna-Sindhu remained silent, checking up on his brother and Zero.

It was hard to see them in the dark, Yavata wore his usual dark blue outfit and fedora, and while he had regained his moonlight glow, it simply was not strong enough to pierce through his cloth rendering the young man but another somewhat brighter spot in the cloud bound, early morning sky.

He was carrying their oversized travelling bag; inside was the egg generator and Zero. The Heroic reploid looked like a dead man, and to put him in an oversized bag seemed to have been the best solution as to how to move him around the city without causing yet another stir... Still, Karuna knew Yavata would feel the burn in a few hours. Still, the Vaishnava would rather carry the rest of their stuff (not that there was anything less after what happened yesterday.) and the more dangerous of the two…not that Zero was inoffensive.

' _Nope, Zero's armless.'_ He smirked.

"Hey Yav', is everything alright?" He asked his adopted brother.

Yavata Nodded, It was not all true that Yavata had human strength; his stint as a Jiang-shi had given him a greater resilience to pain and the ability to use most of his strength.

"Is Zero fine?" Karuna asked.

Yavata gave him a look.

"Nothing changed?"

Negative.

' _Great…Krishna, I know it's up to you._ -'Spoke to his Lord.

"But you would like Zero to recover?" Krishna shot back, unseen but very much present.

' _Yeah, just to give him a chance to get in contact with you…but, well, your call.'_ After serving Krishna for so long, Karuna-Sindhu had learned that Krishna's plans were all for the best; it may not look like it materialistically wise, but spiritually wise? _'Left hand or right hands, we are always in Krishna's care.'_ Suddenly, he heard Omega make a sound of pure wonder.

"Uwa! What is that?" The Crimson reploid was pointing at their destination, the New-Delhi temple. The three ninety feet tall spires beckoning the dryad with its waving flags, the chakra on top… None different from His Krishna, glowed lovingly.

' _Oh Krishna…I'm almost here.'_ No matter how often he came to visit the beautiful mandir, Karuna-Sindhu would always feel like a return home...like with every temple in the world. "Omega, that's the New-Delhi temple, on top of Krishna hill. We will land here and stay for a few hours. Just long enough to print our ticket and do a bit of shopping for you and Zero."

Omega fully turned his head toward Karuna; he was clearly confused. "Shopping?"

"You know, getting you some clothes and whatever else will be needed for the train ride."

"…why?"

"Because I don't want you to get mobbed by picture happy Indian and…the fandom." Oh, fandom were just the worst…

Apparently, Stephan had sold whatever good stories came out of his torture-land... and Karina-Sindhu's... or Nanashi's story had its follower... and its favourite ship, unfortunately.

Omega gave a blood-thirsty smile… "Let them come."

Right, their guest had a long way to go. _'Thank_ _you, Krishna, for having your_ _Yamuna sealed his power.'_

Karuna-Sindhu did not deign to try to correct Omega; he knew he was used to violence and thus would deal with his problem. "Say, once were home, mind a little spare?" The Vaishnava asked instead, Param-atma telling him that it would let Omega blow some steam after the week he had.

A look of very subdued fear manifested in Omega. "Don't worry; a spar is just fighting for fun, a way to train without killing anyone." Karuna-Sindhu began to explain, well aware of how it must have sounded for the war-born reploid. "Sure, we'll beat the petals out of one another but, in the end, I won't kill you."

"Then it's a waste of time…" Omega dismissed. "What's the point of fighting if you can't kill your opponent?"

Karuna paused; in a way; Omega was right and yet. "Omega, both of us are warriors, Kshatriyas. It's our nature to want to fight, hunt and protect the weak. "The Dryad explained as he began his descent, he could already see Balaram Prabhu waving a ten wick lamp to indicate a safe landing spot. "But…well, we can't hunt or kill weaker than us, it's like so wrong, it would be sinful…not the 'indulgent' sinful, the bad one." The one Yamaraja would take note of…on top of everything else. "So sparing, fighting just for the fun of it with people of the same strength, is what we do. and trust me, the way we do it...you won't have to hold back." Karuna smiled broadly; spell card rules were so fun. "Omega, let me tell you something, killing innocent…it's boring. But fighting someone who has the same strength as you…and winning. Oh, there no better feeling."

Well, there was something else that was _way_ better. But Karuna knew he had to redirect Omega's aggro and desire to fight away from meaningless slaughter and onto some more sportive propensity.

Omega remained silent for a bit, still looking around as Karuna-Sindhu floated down to the ground.

"Omega…we're soon going to land in a sacred place. I won't force you to stay in the same room we will be, just remain in the temple complex, and don't cause any disturbance."

"Or else?" The black and crimson reploid snarked, goading the dryad with a glowing red eye.

"Or I'll force you in a frilly dress to match with your fab ribbon, sweet cheeks." Karuna gave a sadistic smile.

Omega's neck snapped back to Karuna. "…you wouldn't." He hissed.

"Wanna test me Goldilocks?" Karuna goaded. _'Krishna…please gives him the intelligence, not too.'_

Omega gave The Vaishnava a long, hard look. And then he averted his eyes, grunting a small 'fine.'

Karuna-Sindhu let out a sigh as he thanked his Lord.

He may be in India, but he was still far from home.

* * *

Any questions or comments are appreciated.

Also... don't expect much from Zero.

By the way, I have a prompt for whoever is reading this.

MMZ Zero, But Elpizo has a change of heart and decides to kidnap X instead of Killing him.


End file.
